Happily Ever After
by december-dream
Summary: Zell's had a lifelong crush on Selphie. When Irvine breaks up with Selphie, Zell seizes the opportunity to try to cheer her up and make her fall in love with him. (Zelphie pairing)
1. Decaf and a Breakup

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all the characters, and I only own Cal...  
  
Author's notes: Hey! This is my first fanfiction ever. I've always kinda wanted Selphie to pair up with Zell, cuz they're so much alike, so I decided to write this! A few of my ideas came from a Chinese TV series called Moments of Endearment. Hope you guys like this fanfiction! R&R.. flames are always welcome. I look forward to reading your reviews.  
  
--Chapter 1: Decaf and a Breakup--  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie Tilmitt skipped down the hallways of Balamb Garden, humming a cheerful tune to herself. She rounded the bend in the hallway and saw the sign that read "Cafeteria". All of a sudden, her stomach growled. Selphie stopped in mid-skip, and frowned.  
  
"Damn you," She muttered, swatting at her flat belly. Then she glanced at her watch. "It's three-thirty ALREADY?! TIME FOR LUNCH!!" she yelled, attracting the curious looks of students nearby. Selphie sighed, yelled "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN' AT?!" and skipped into the cafeteria.  
  
Once inside, she stopped and looked around. Spotting her friend Cal Rowlands sitting at a table by himself, she tiptoed stealthily until she was right behind him.  
  
"BOOYAKA!" She screamed into Cal's ear.  
  
"AHHH!!" Cal jumped about a foot in the air and his coffee spilled all over the table. He whirled around. "WHAT THE HELL DO YO---" recognition dawned. "---oh. Hi Selphie..."  
  
"Hi! Whatcha doin' here? Oh I bet you're eating! Haha that's what the cafe is for huh? Silly silly silly me. Well I'm hungry too! Mind if I join you for lunch? I'm starving! And really REALLY hungry too! Oh that's what starving is huh? Silly silly silly me!!" Selphie cried, all the time jumping up and down.  
  
Cal groaned and put his hand to his forehead. As much as he liked Selphie, sometimes her endless amounts of energy gave him migraines. Where did it all come from?? He often wondered about that. He pulled out a chair for her. "Why don't you just sit down and then calm down a little, ok? I'm gonna go get some napkins and get a new coffee," he gestured at the spilled contents of his coffee mug. "I'll be right back." He turned around and started to walk towards the food counter.  
  
Selphie giggled. She sat down in the chair, only to bounce back up a second later. "Wait Cal!! Can you get me some coffee and a donut too? Chocolate coated with chocolate sprinkles pleeeease." She closed her eyes and licked her lips with anticipation at the thought of the sugary sweet pastry.  
  
Cal stifled a chuckle. Sugar. Of course. Selphie and sugar went hand-in- hand. He smiled and turned back to Selphie. "Sure. What kind of coffe? Normal or decaf?"  
  
All of a sudden, a silence settled over the cafeteria. "Did he say the 'D' word in front of Selphie Tilmitt?" One guy asked his girlfriend in hushed tones. She nodded gravely. "Uh-oh," he whispered. "He doesn't know how much trouble he's in..."  
  
Cal looked around. Why was it so quiet all of a sudden?? Then he heard a low growl. He whirled back around and jumped. Selphie's face was mere inches away from his own. Cal took a step backwards. What was going on?  
  
"Decaf?" Selphie whispered in a dangerously soft voice. "Did I hear you say decaf?? Cuz I must've heard wrong, buddy." She jabbed at his chest with her finger and stepped closer to him. Cal backed away again and rubbed the back of his neck nervously with a hand.  
  
"Well, no, not really. Because I just thought---"  
  
"YOU THOUGHT?!" Selpie yelled. Half of the cafeteria's patrons jumped in their seats. "WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO THINK?!? HOW DO YOU CALL YOURSELF MY FRIEND IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT I WON'T TOUCH THAT DECAF STUFF WITH A TEN-FOOT POLE?!?!"  
  
Cal chuckled nervously. "WowlookatthetimeIgottagoseeyalaterbye!" And ran out of the cafeteria as if a pack of Mesmerizes were hot on his tail.  
  
The second he got out of sight, Selphie burst out laughing. The look on Cal's face had been priceless! If only she had brought a camera! She made a mental note to herself to start carrying a camera with her wherever she went. If only she had taken that picture of Cal, then she'd be able to show it to Quisty, and Zell, and Squall, and Seifer, and Irvine too!  
  
Selphie gasped. Speaking of Irvine! He had called last night to say that he had something important to ask her, and if she could meet him in his dorm at 3:20 the next day. She looked at ther watch. 3:45! Late! She took off as fast as Cal had gone out of the cafeteria. As she rounded the corner, she ran right into a strong solid wall and fell to the ground.  
  
"Fuck!" The wall swore. Wait a second, Selphie thought. Walls didn't swear. She shook her head, looked up, and almost burst out laughing. The "wall" was none other then Zell Dincht. "Why don't you ever watch where you're going?" Zell yelled with irritation literally stamped all over his tattooed face.  
  
Selphie giggled and got up. She threw her arms around his neck and shouted in his ear, "SORRY!!" and ran down the hall, leaving her merry laughter ringing in Zell's ears.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hyper freak," Zell muttered as he walked into the cafeteria. But now that he thought of it, Selphie's hyper personality was just one of the things that Zell liked about her. Whoa! Zell thought. Liked about her?? Where did THAT one come from?  
  
'Admit it, Dincht." a tiny voice in the back of his head said. 'You know you've liked her ever since that time at the orphanage.'  
  
Zell sat down at an empty table and started thinking. It was true, it had all started one day...  
  
--FLASHBACK--  
  
It was a beautiful afternoon, and two little kids, around the age of five or six were playing on the beach.  
  
"Hey Zelly!" A brown haired girl waved to a short blonde boy her age. "Wanna play with Teddy and me?" The blonde boy was about to agree, when a taller blonde boy walked past.  
  
"Playing with stuffed animals, Cry-baby Zell?" He smirked and shoved him.  
  
"HEY! Stop that, Seifer!" the brown haired girl yelled.  
  
"Whatcha gonna do about it? Huh?" the boy named Seifer laughed and shoved the brown haired girl hard, so that she fell backwards into the shallow water. She choked on a mouthful of sea water and started crying, hugging her teddy to her.  
  
"Don't shove Sefie, you big bully!" Zell snarled and rushed at Seifer with hands clenched into tiny fists.  
  
"I can shove anyone I want! I can shove you too!" Seifer cried proudly, tripping Zell as he rushed forward and shoved him to the ground. Zell's eyes got wet and tears threatened to fall as he sat on the ground in front of the bully of the orphanage. After a while, Zell muttered "Forget it..", got up and started to walk away when he heard a scream from behind him.  
  
He turned around quickly. Selphie was standing behind Seifer, attacking him with Teddy. She held it like a weapon, and hit him over the head with it time and time again. Zell started laughing, he just couldn't help it. Seifer tried futilely to protect himself with his arms, finally giving up and running away. Zell ran over to Selphie and threw his arms around her.  
  
"YEAH SEFIE! You showed him who's boss!" Zell shouted enthusiastically. Selphie returned the hug with a surprising feriocity. Together, they walked back towards the stone house.  
  
--END FLASHBACK--  
  
'And since that day, you've been in love with Selphie Tilmitt,' the tiny voice concluded. Zell groaned and put his head down. He knew it was all true, even though he hated to admit it. How can I love Sefie? She has a boyfriend, you know. Zell thought. I couldn't steal her away from Irvine! That's just wrong, to betray a friend like that. There's no way she can ever know I like her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie stopped in front of Irvine's dorm door. She patted at her hair and brushed down her skirt. When all was ready, she knocked. A minute later, Irvine opened the door, dressed in his usual clothing of brown soft leather and a cowboy hat.  
  
"Irvy!" Selphie ran forward and gave her boyfriend a big hug. But when Irvine didn't return the hug, Selphie disentangled herself from him and gave him a look. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," Irvine sighed. "Come in, I have something really important to tell you." Selphie bounced into the room and sat down at her usual place on the bed. But Irvine, instead of sitting down at his usual place next to Selphie, sat on the desk chair, the one furtest away from the bed. Selphie frowned. Something was wrong...  
  
After about ten minutes of silence, Selphie could take no more. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG, IRVINE? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME?!?" She bellowed. Across the room, Irvine winced. "Ieinkweoudseoerpeol" Irvine muttered, turning away. What the--- Selphie was confused. "What? Say that again... slowly."  
  
"I. Think. We. Should. See. Other. People." Irvine drew the sentence out slowly. Then he waited for the explosion.  
  
Selphie's mind whirred. That couldn't be right. What in Hyne's name is he thinking? He must be kidding. That's it, he's kidding!! Not a very funny subject to joke about... She forced a laugh. "Very funny, Irvy. Can't you find somethin' else to joke around about? And not our relationship?"  
  
Irvine sighed. "Selphie... I'm not kidding." He said softly, looking down at his boots.  
  
Selphie. Irvy NEVER calls me Selphie! It's always Sefie... or sweetie... or something! Never Selphie! Selphie's eyes filled with tears as she realized he wasn't joking.  
  
"Selphie..." Irvine walked across the room and touched her arm.  
  
"Don't." Selphie stood up and ran out the door.  
  
Sighing, Irvine sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands.  
  
Selphie ran blindly down the hallway, trying to hold back her tears. She was aware that students were jumping out of her way here and there, and some even swearing at her, but she didn't care. Until she ran right smack into someone.  
  
For the second time that day, she was knocked onto the floor. "Whoa Sefie. You alright?" Zell knelt down next to the brown haired girl sitting on the floor. "That's the second time you ran into me!" Then Selphie looked up, and Zell realized that she was crying. "S-s-sefie," Zell stuttered. He never was any good around girls that were crying. "I-i'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you! Are you ok? W-what's w-wrong??"  
  
Selphie looked at Zell. His eyes were blue pools of emotion. Concern, caring, and something else, (was it love?) was reflected in his eyes. She shook her head hard, causing her flipped hair to bounce around her head. "I'm fine," she lied, getting up onto her feet. "I just need a little time alone." She looked at Zell pointedly.  
  
"Oh... ok. I guess I'll see you around then..." Zell muttered unhappily. Selphie forced a smile at him and walked towards the Garden entrance. Zell started to turn away, when a sudden thought struck. Are you sure you wanna leave her alone like that? I mean, she does look pretty crappy. He turned back around and looked at Selphie's retreating figure. He frowned. She didn't look at all like the usual Selphie Tilmitt. Instead of skipping around humming like she usually did, she dragged her feet on the floor with her head bowed.  
  
She doesn't look like she's paying attention to where she's going, Zell thought as she bumped into a blonde girl. ("Ouch! Watch where you're goin, bitch!" ".....sorry." ) Maybe I should follow her just to make sure she doesn't get run over by a car or something. So Zell started to follow Selphie as she walked out into the Aucauld Plains.  
  
When Zell stepped outside, he noticed how cold it was. After all, it was almost December. He worried that Selphie's short yellow jumper wouldn't keep her warm, so he jogged back into the Garden to grab a jacket for her. When he reached his dorm room, Zell reached into his pocket and got out his key. He opened the door, only to find that his jacket wasn't in its usual place on the coatrack.  
  
"Have you seen my jacket?" Zell asked his roommate, Cal, who was sitting on his bed reading a book. Cal shook his head, his eyes never leaving the book. "FUCK! HYNE DAMMIT!" He swore passionately, causing Cal to jump.  
  
"Borrow mine," Cal gestured to his long trenchcoat which was resting on the back of the deskchair.  
  
"Thanks!" Zell shouted as he ran out the door.  
  
Zell sprinted all the way to the path in the Aucauld Plains, and swore under his breath. Selphie was nowhere to be seen. He continued down the path, growing more and more worried as the minutes passed by. Where could Selphie have gone??  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: So! What do you think? It's great? ok? Sucked?? please review and give me some ideas, although i already have a rough outline of the whole story. Its my first fiction, so don't blame me if it sucked!!! . 


	2. More than Just Friends

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all the characters in this little story of mine, except Cal.  
  
Author's notes: Thanks for all the great reviews people! Special thanks to chibilinnet for my first good review ever!! I love you!!! It makes me feel good when I know people actually enjoy reading what I'm writing...  
  
--Chapter 2: More than Just Friends--  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie looked around at all the wildflowers surrounding her in the shallow valley and sighed happily. It was so easy for one to forget their troubles here, and Selphie wasn't an exception. She had found this flower patch when she first transfered to Balamb Garden, and since then, whenever she had a problem, she would come here and think. It was her secret place; nobody else knew about it. And for some unknown reason, monsters tended to stay away from this little flower field.  
  
She sat down and picked a daisy, holding it up to her nose, taking a deep sniff. Her unhappiness had already begun to dissipate. Then she began feeling a bit cold, so she stood up and starting humming and dancing. Pretty soon the air was filled with laughter as Selphie laughed at herself for tripping over some rocks.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Behind some small bushes, a man lay sleeping. He stirred at the sound of merry laughter nearby and soon woke up. Sitting up, he rubbed his cold green eyes with a dirty hand. Then he heard humming, and stood up. His face split with a grin. Only about fifty meters from where he was, a small brown haired girl was twirling around and laughing. He swallowed hard. He looked at her perfect figure and soft white skin, and his eyes lit up with a devilish look in them. Rubbing his gritty hands together with anticipation, he started creeping steathily towards the beautiful girl.  
  
As he crept closer with every step, he imagined what she would taste and feel like, struggling in his arms, and he almost cackled with delight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie soon stopped dancing and took a few deep breaths. She had forgotten how much fun dancing was, but she had also forgotten it took quite a bit of energy. As she brushed the leaves and flowers off of her jumper and prepared to return to Balamb Garden, a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind and knocked her to the ground.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"SELPHIE!!!" Zell shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" He was starting to get seriously worried. He was just about to turn around and go back to Garden to tell them to send out a search crew, when a bloodcurdling scream filled the air. SEFIE!!! His mind screamed out. But, Hyne damnit, in these Aucauld Plains, sounds seemed to come from everywhere at once. He whirled around, trying to locate where the scream had come from.  
  
"SELPHIE!!!" Zell yelled again. He grew panicky when his only response was another scream. Some sixth sense told him to look to his right. He shot off the path like an arrow, only to be attacked almost immediately by a Thrustaevis. "Fuck!" He yelled. "I have no time for this shit!" After a few punches and kicks, the big blue bird fluttered, dead, to the ground.  
  
Another scream rang through the air. This time, it sounded closer than it did before. Heartbeat pounding his ears, Zell reached a dip in the plains and looked down. What he saw almost made him jump up and down in rage.  
  
There was Selphie, laying on the ground in the middle of a small flower field, pinned under a man at least twice her size. She was pounding on his chest with her fists, tears streaming unchecked down her face. Zell gave a low growl of anger and rushed towards them. He didn't stop running until he was right behind the big dirty man that was hovering over his beloved Sefie. Selphie's eyes grew wide and filled with hope when she saw Zell standing above them.  
  
"What the--" the man turned around just in time to see a fist fly down and hit his face before he blacked out.  
  
Zell knelt down and shoved the man off of Selphie, who promptly sat up and starting crying into his shoulder. "Shhh, don't cry Sefie, I'm here now, its ok, shhh its alright," he murmured into her ear, while checking her for any injuries. Her usually cheerful looking yellow jumper was now dirtied, torn, and ripped. There were bruises peppered up and down her arms and legs, but other than that, she didn't seem to be too hurt. At least he had arrived just in time to save her chastity from that brutal man.  
  
After a while, Selphie's sobs subsided into hiccups, then silence as she fell asleep, still curled up in Zell's arms. Zell peered down at her. In slumber, she was even more beautiful, with her brown chestnut hair on her face and her long eyelashes resting on her soft skin.  
  
A sudden breeze pulled him out of his reverie, and he started. He realized it was getting pretty dark outside. Zell took Cal's trenchcoat and wrapped Selphie up in it so she wouldn't catch a cold. Careful not to wake her up, he put an arm under her knees and lifted her up into his arms. Selphie sighed in her sleep and snuggled closer to Zell. "Warm..." She mumbled and closed her fist around a handful of his vest. Fifteen minutes later they were back at Garden. The first thing he did was get her to his dorm room, where he laid her down on his bed. Cal sat up from where he was trying to take a nap.  
  
"Whoa man," Cal said, laughing, "Didn't your ma ever teach you to never take advantage of a girl while she's drunk?"  
  
"Shut the fuck up," Zell retorted angrily. By the tone of voice he used, Cal immediately sensed that something was wrong.  
  
"Aye man, what's up with you?" Cal asked.  
  
"Some ass tried to rape her today out in the Plains," Zell explained. "I just rescued her."  
  
"Oh man..." Cal groaned and put a hand to his forehead. "Do you think it's right for you to keep her in our room like this? Maybe you should take her to Quistis's or Rinoa's or somethin," he said.  
  
Zell thought about what he said. He was right, when Selphie woke up, Zell was sure she'd rather be close to a female than a male. He nodded slowly and picked Selphie up in his arms again. "Where ya goin?" Cal asked and quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"Taking her to Rinny's" was the only reply before Zell walked out of the room. Cal sighed and lay back down on the bed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Whaddya mean, she's not here?!" Zell shouted at the girl that opened Rinoa's dorm door.  
  
"Please, she's at Squall's room right now... She probably won't be back until late," the girl said meekly.  
  
Damn those lovebirds have to get freaky at the wrong times! Zell's expression grew dark as he realized he would have to carry her all the way back across the dormitories to where Quistis' dorm room was. For such a petite girl, Sefie, you sure do weigh a lot, Zell thought as he tried to shift her weight in his arms. He turned and walked back down the hallway, ignoring the curious glances of passerby-ers. He knew what they were thinking, ('What is Selphie doing unconscious in ZELL DINCHT'S arms??') and he also knew there would be rumors being spread around, but that couldn't be helped now.  
  
Once outside Quistis's dorm room, he lifted a hand and knocked. Then he leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. The door opened, and there stood Quistis Trepe. She looked surprised to see Zell standing outside her door with Selphie in his arms.  
  
"Thank Hyne you're here!" Zell gasped and pushed past Quistis and into her neat room. Walking over to her bed, he leaned down and placed Selphie carefully down onto it. Quistis raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, and waited for an explanation.  
  
And explain Zell did. After he was done, Quistis all but shoved him out the door. "I'll take care of her. You get some rest," she said sternly as she closed the door in his face.  
  
"QUISTY!!" Zell shouted as he pounded on the door. "LET ME IN! SHE'S MY FRIEND TOO!!!"  
  
No answer.  
  
Zell let out a long-suffering sigh and started to walk back towards his dorm.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Quistis sighed as she looked at the tiny girl laying on her bed. "Poor poor Selphie," she murmured. She brushed her blonde bangs out of her face and began cleaning her up the best she could. First, she took off the ruined yellow jumper, replacing it with a large white shirt and a pair of black shorts that she found in one of her drawers. Then she took out her old first aid kit and set about cleaning her cuts and bandaging them. She rubbed some medicated cream on her bruises, taking care not to press too hard. When she was done, Quistis pulled the blankets over the sleeping girl and went to dinner in the cafeteria.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell sighed loudly and put his head down on the cafeteria table. His companions, Irvine and Cal both groaned. "Man!" Irvine yelled. "Just shut up already! That's like, the millionth time I've heard you sigh." He took his fork and savagely stabbed it into his plate of spaghetti.  
  
Zell's head snapped up and his eyes flashed angrily at Irvine. In a flash, he pounced over the table, knocking all the food to the floor and grabbed Irvine by his collar. "Don't talk to me," he hissed. "It's all your fault that Selphie's like this!"  
  
Irvine turned pale. He tore his trenchcoat out of Zell's grasp and yanked it straight. "This was NOT my fault and you know it," he drawled. Zell's face turned a dark red. Cal thought fast. Zell looked like he was about to explode. So Cal jumped up and quickly stepped between the two of them.  
  
"Hey guys," said a voice. They turned and saw Quistis walking towards them. She raised an eyebrow at the upturned table and all the food on the floor. "Is there a problem?"  
  
Cal coughed, bent down and righted the table while Zell and Irvine continued to glare at each other. Once the table was safely between the two boys, Cal and Quistis grabbed the chairs and pushed Irvine and Zell down into them.  
  
"Whatever's wrong, I'm sure Selphie won't want to see you guys fighting," Quistis said, staring hard at the two boys to emphasize her point. Zell grumbled and look down at his shoes. Irvine fixed his eyes on a pebble laying on the floor.  
  
"So! I heard something happened to Messenger Girl." A new voice broke in. "Frankly, I wonder how anyone would find her hot enough to rape, you know what I mean?" Zell stood up quickly, almost upsetting the table again. He glared right into the smirking face of Seifer Almasy.  
  
Silence fell over the cafeteria as the tension in the room rose. Zell's blue eyes met Seifer's cold green ones. An unspoken challenge hung in the air.  
  
Suddenly, a timid cough cut through the air. Five heads turned to the doorway. There stood Selphie, in Quistis's shirt and shorts.  
  
"Selphie!" Irvine cried and ran over to her. Zell followed him, Cal followed Zell, and Quistis followed Cal. Seifer smirked and sat down at the table.  
  
"Oh Hyne, Sefie I'm so sorry I hurt you... If I hadn't hurt you then you wouldn't have gone out and then..." Irvine's voice trailed off as he looked away.  
  
"It's ok," Selphie whispered. Her lower lip trembled and she looked about to cry. Quistis pulled her into a tight hug.  
  
"You'll be ok, Selphie. You always pull through." she comforted her best friend. Selphie nodded.  
  
"By the way, Zell," Selphie said, pulling away from Quistis and drawing patterns on the floor with the tip of her boots, "Thanks for saving me."  
  
Zell blushed and scratched the back of his head. "It's nothing, really... Anyone else would've done the same thing in my place," he muttered.  
  
Selphie pulled him into a hug and he turned even redder. "You'll always be my best friend, Zelly," she whispered into his ear.  
  
Even though Zell felt good to hear Selphie say that, he couldn't help but also feel a little bit sad. Best friends, he thought. But will we ever be more than just friends??  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Wow... I am suffering from major writer's block!! I know what I wanna say, but I just can't think of a good way to put it!!! Argh... I never knew writing a fanfiction was so hard. And sorry this chapter is a big short... but I thought that that was a nice way to end the chapter. Keep reviewing, and I'll crank out the next chapter ASAP!! 


	3. The Heimlich Maneuver

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all but Cal.  
  
Authors notes: I got my first flame! haha that's ok though... cuz I don't really care. Well anyways, here's the next chapter!!  
  
--Chapter 3: The Heimlich Maneuver --  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie sat on her bed in her room, twiddling her thumbs with boredom. Quistis hadn't believed her when Selphie told her that she was feeling better. After the "incident," she had developed a cold. (Probably from staying out in the December air too long, she thought.) So Quistis had told her to stay inside her room at all times unless it was a dire emergency. It had been almost two weeks, and she had already gotten better. But Quistis hadn't believed her, and she was still confined to her room.  
  
Since that day almost two weeks ago, at least two of her classmates dropped by her room every day to see how she was doing. She had tried convincing them that she was fine, and no, she wasn't scared of guys now, but they hadn't listened at all! At one point, she had considered grabbing her alarm clock and bashing them over the head with it.  
  
Selphie stood up and starting pacing around the room. I never thought life could be this boring!! In two weeks time, she had gone through every book in her room, read everything that was read-able, including the labels on the canned food that was in her cupboard. She had listened to all her CD's over 10 times each, and hacked into every computer file she could find. But what she really wanted was OUT OF THIS HYNE FORSAKEN ROOM!!!  
  
All of a sudden, her stomach grumbled, a reminder of how she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. It was now almost lunchtime, and she was starving! Also, she was getting soooooooo sick of oatmeal with raisins, the only thing that Quistis thought was "suitable" for Selphie to eat. I swear, sometimes Quistis is sooooooooo.... MOTHERISH!! Selphie thought.  
  
The more she thought about food, the hungrier she got. Man, forget oatmeal, she thought, I'm going to get some REAL food! She flung open the dorm door and starting skipping towards the cafeteria. I hope Zell's there, she thought without thinking.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"HEY ZELLY!" Selphie shouted. Her spirits lifted when she spotted her friend's spiky blonde hair in the crowded cafeteria and starting shoving her way towards him. Zell waved at her energetically when she reached him.  
  
"Hey Sefie! I got in line really early this morning, so I could hog all the hot dogs!!" he cried ecstatically. "Do you want some?"  
  
Selphie nodded enthusiastically. "I'll go find us an empty table," she shouted and ran off. She quickly spotted the only empty table in the cafeteria, and was walking towards it when she also spotted a group of Garden cadets also walking towards it. Thinking quickly, she raced straight towards the table, hurtling over a few tables in the way and ignoring the surprised shouts of others. She reached the table a split second before the others did and plopped down in one of the chairs.  
  
"I claim the table!" Selphie exclaimed. The group of friends all shot her dirty looks before walking away, defeated.  
  
"That was quite something." Selphie looked up to see Zell standing with a tray filled with hot dogs and his eyebrows raised. This made such a funny sight that she burst out laughing. Zell smiled and sat down next to her at the circular table. "Here," he said and handed her a plate with five hot dogs.  
  
"Yum," Selphie licked her lips. "It's been a while since I've had anything besides oatmeal and raisins." She made a face. She bit into the plump hot dog and sighed with pleasure. She turned to Zell to thank him for buying lunch for her, only to see him swallowing hot dogs with immense speed.  
  
Her eyes widened. How could anyone eat that fast?? At that moment, an underclassmen ran past and bumped into Zell. "Sorry!" he squeaked before running off. Selphie started laughing, but stopped when Zell started to cough violently.  
  
"Zell?!" Selphie leapt over to him. His face was red and seemed ready to turn purple. "HELP!!" Selphie screamed. "ZELL'S CHOKING!!!" When nobody stood up to help her, she groaned. She would have to take the situation into her own hands. She got behind her friend and tried to remember everything she had ever read or seen about the Heimlich Maneuver. She clasped her hands on Zell's upper abdomen and pulled. Zell started coughing even more. "Shit," she muttered and tried again. And again. And again. Until finally, she got it right, and a chunk of hot dog came flying out of Zell's mouth and splatted on someone's blonde head a few tables away. Selphie giggled. But the person seemed familiar...  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" The guy reached behind his head and felt the chunk of hot dog and spit. Then he whirled around.  
  
"SEIFER?!" Selphie gasped. The cafeteria fell silent. She was in trouble now...  
  
Seifer growled and got up. Zell stopped coughing and watched him come closer. Quick as a flash, Seifer grabbed Zell's half-eaten hot dog and mashed it into Zell's spiky blonde hair, bun, hot dog, ketchup, mustard and all. Then he walked out calmly out of the cafeteria, his gray trenchcoat sweeping behind him.  
  
The whole cafeteria burst out in laughter. Selphie didn't want to laugh at Zell, but pretty soon she was turning red from trying to hold it in. A tiny giggle escaped, causing Zell to turn around and look at her. The sight of Zell with his hair disheveled, with bits of bread and hot dog stuck in hair and ketchup and mustard running down his forehead was too much. Selphie fell to the floor and starting laughing hysterically.  
  
Zell looked hurt for a second, but then he also starting laughing. He laughed so hard he fell off his chair and fell to the floor next to the hysterical Selphie. She shrieked as bits of hot dog rained down on her from his hair.  
  
After the laughter subsided, Selphie knelted and starting picking the bits of bread and hot dog out of Zell's hair. Even though she was giggling as she did it, the feeling was so intimate that Zell sat very still, not daring to breathe. After she was done, he tilted his head and looked at her. She really was beautiful, with her hair flipped outwards so sexily the way she did it.  
  
Selphie looked down at Zell and wondered why he was looking at her in that perculiar way. She realized that she cared for him very much. Then she wondered just HOW much. When he had rescued her that day out on the Plains, she had felt a strong love towards him. Was it possible that she had fallen in love with Zell?? She shook her head and dismissed the idea. She had just broken up with Irvine that day. There was no one someone could fall in love with someone else in the space of two hours.  
  
'But maybe you've ALWAYS been in love with him... Even while you were dating Irvine," a tiny voice in the back of her head told her. Selphie blushed. Was that even possible?? 'Yes,' the voice confirmed. She flushed a deeper red and tried to focus on the present.  
  
That was no good, since she was looking right into Zell's warm blue eyes filled with laughter, joy and something else that Selphie couldn't quite place.  
  
"I, uh... just remembered I have something to do today," Selphie stammered, standing up. She was afraid that if she stayed there even a second longer, she might kiss Zell.  
  
"Oh... ok," Zell sounded disappointed. He also stood up. "I'll see you around then," he said unhappily.  
  
"Bye!" Selphie said and jogged out of the cafeteria.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry that chappy was even shorter than the last one, but I decided to stop it right there since it was a good place. So sparks are flying between them!! Lookin forward to your reviews! I've been updating really fast... trying to do all that I can before school starts in two days. 


	4. Selphie...... and CAL?!?

Disclaimer: Me own nobody but Cal and Virginia...  
  
--Chapter 4: Selphie...... and CAL?!? --  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
As soon as Selphie got into the hall outside the cafeteria, she took a deep breath. What was *that* all about?? Selphie didn't like Zell! Well, at least she didn't think so! As she walked through the halls of Garden, she passed two girls giggling and gossiping. She heard snippets of their conversation.  
  
"--soooo cute!"  
  
"--like, yeah!"  
  
"Irvine--- soo hot----"  
  
Irvine. Selphie hadn't talked to him in two weeks. Everytime he saw her in class or in the hallways, he had pretended he didn't see her. Maybe she should go and talk things over with him. What the heck? Selphie didn't have anything to do, and she sure as hell didn't want to go back to her room. So she started walking towards Irvine's room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
*Knock, knock*  
  
Irvine opened the door, dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants, and peered down at Selphie. She stuck her foot in between the door just in time before Irvine tried to shut it. Then she pushed it open and went into the room. Irvine groaned and ran his hand through his long curly hair. He had been trying to take a nap after a grueling training session. Plus, the last person he wanted to talk to was Selphie. He blamed himself for the attack on her, and he thought she blamed him too.  
  
"We need to talk," Selphie declared, sitting down on the floor. Irvine sighed and sat down across from her.  
  
"Look, Selphie, I know I'm an ass and I'm responsible for your attack, but I don't think I can take it if you yell and scream at me," he said.  
  
"What?" Selphie looked confused.  
  
"I said---"  
  
"I heard what you said. But I don't blame you!"  
  
"You don't?" It was Irvine's turn to look confused.  
  
"Of course not, you silly goose!" Selphie laughed. "And plus, you know me! I let NOTHING get me down for long!"  
  
"True," Irvine said slowly, trying to figure out if she was joking or not. It was too good to be true! Selphie wasn't mad at him? Maybe they had a chance of being friends again.  
  
And just as if she had read his thoughts, Selphie spoke up. "So... Friends?" She stuck out her hand.  
  
"Friends," Irvine agreed, shaking hands with her. Then they stood up and he pulled her into a warm embrace. It felt nice to have finally settled their misunderstanding.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When she was back at her dorm, Selphie whistled a cheerful tune as she did her best to clean the place up. As she got to the bed, she found a trenchcoat crumpled at the end of it. She lifted it up and frowned. It didn't look very familiar. She looked in the pockets for some kind of identification. She pulled out a slip of paper and held it up to the light. It looked like a note.  
  
Cal-  
  
Hey! Sorry for leaving so soon last night, I just remembered my friend wanted me to tutor her in math. I haven't had that much fun in ages. I just have so much fun whenever I'm with you. Well, call me!  
  
Love, Virginia.  
  
Selphie guffawed. A LOVE NOTE!! Tee hee. So Cal had a girlfriend! Maybe she should go return the trenchcoat to him. She picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Hel-lo?" came a sexy voice that Selphie didn't recognize.  
  
"Hello? Who the hell is this?" Selphie blurted out without thinking.  
  
"What the fuck?" This time, Selphie recognized the voice.  
  
"CAL?! HOLY HYNE!" She burst out laughing. She imagined him turning red on the other side of the line.  
  
"S-s--selphie? Geez, sorry, I thought you were someone else for a second."  
  
"Oooo," she said in a singsong voice, "Expecting your Vir-gin-ia?"  
  
"WHAT?! How'd you know? Wait, hold on a sec."  
  
Silence for a few moments.  
  
"Hello? Selphie? Hey can I call you back? I'm trying to look for my coat, I can't remember where I put it."  
  
Selphie snickered to herself. "Hey Cal, man, forget your coat! I'm more important! Meet me at the front gate at 7:00 tonight ok? I was thinking we could go to dinner. I gotta talk to you."  
  
"Um... sure. See ya then! Bye." A click as Cal hung up.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
At 7:00 sharp, Cal appeared at the front gate. Selphie was already there, dressed not in her usual jumper, but in a pair of jeans and a sweater. She was also wearing Cal's trenchcoat.  
  
"Hey!" Selphie smirked at the look of surprise on his face. "Where'd you get my trenchcoat?!"  
  
"I dunno! It was in my room!" She shrugged out of it and handed it to him. He scowled and put it on. "Aw, don't be such a grouch. At least I gave it back!" She pointed at the messenger bag he was wearing. "Why ya wearing that?"  
  
"Just came from class," Cal said. "Where are we going?"  
  
"That new restaurant in Balamb, the Balamb Diner!" Selphie squealed and starting walking.  
  
When they got there, the waitress seated them at a cozy booth in a corner for two. They received menus, and ordered. When the food arrived, they were surprised to find that it actually quite good. By the end of the meal, they were both too full to order dessert. As they stood up to leave, a book slid out of Cal's messenger bag. Selphie bent down to pick it up.  
  
"Hey! You read the Chocobaby series too?!" She straightened and held up the book, titled Adventures of Chocobaby, Book XVII. Cal's face lit up.  
  
"Yeah! It's the best series in the world!"  
  
"WOW! I read them too! You're already on book 17? I'm stuck on book 6," Selphie said sadly. "I've been waiting for the book for ages at the library, but last week the library girl said some dude borrowed it and lost it..." she sighed wistfully.  
  
"I have all the books up to 17," Cal informed her. "I buy the newest ones as soon as they come out. You wanna come over? I'll let you borrow them."  
  
Selphie almost jumped with joy. "OK!!"  
  
They paid the bill and walked out of the restaurant.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Selphie and Cal sat on the couch in Cal and Zell's dorm room, Cal was amazed that they had so many things in common. A whole stack of Chocobaby books lay on the coffe table.  
  
"And oh Hyne," Selphie was saying, almost choking with laughter, "Remember the part where Chocobaby fell in the toilet and Chocoboy came in and peed on him?! I almost died!" A huge grin split her pretty face.  
  
Cal was mesmerized by her brilliant smile. She's beautiful, he thought. How could I have never noticed that before? And... she acts like she likes me!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell stopped in front of dorm door, surprised at the loud laughter coming from inside. Virginia must be over, he thought. He reached in his pocket for the keys. His fingers grasped around nothing. Shit! He must've forgotten his keys inside the room. Oh well, lucky Cal was home. He knocked. A minute later, the door opened.  
  
"Hyne, Zell, could you have come home at a worst time??" Cal sighed and let him come in.  
  
"I know you're busy with your girlfriend and all, but hey! Be nice to your roomie!" Zell shot an annoyed glance at Cal. "Hey," he directed at Virginia. Wait a second. That wasn't Virginia! That was SELPHIE!!  
  
Zell gaped at her. What was SHE doing here? Then, to Zell's utter amazement, Cal crossed the room and sat next to her.  
  
"Zell!" Selphie said.  
  
"Hey," Zell said gloomily. So Selphie was going out with Cal... Then what about Virginia?  
  
"Sit down," Cal said, standing up. "I'll get you some soda."  
  
"I'll get it!" Selphie shouted, jumping up. "I want some Coke, too."  
  
"Better make that a DIET Coke," Cal teased, poking her stomach. "Getting a bit chubby, aren't we?"  
  
Selphie laughed and swatted his hand away.  
  
Zell could only stare.  
  
As soon as Selphie disappeared into the kitchen, Zell plopped down on the couch.  
  
"SELPHIE likes YOU?!" Zell whispered incredulously.  
  
"What can I say?" Cal said smugly, "I'm a lady killer."  
  
Zell snorted. "Does she know you have a girlfriend?"  
  
"Yeah... You see, that's the problem... I like them both!" Cal was beginning to get into the subject, when Selphie bounced back into the room, placing a can of soda in front of each of them. Then the phone rang. Zell, who was closest to it, picked it up.  
  
"Hello? ...... Virginia? ....... Yeah he's here, wait a sec," He handed the phone to Cal. "Virginia," he mouthed.  
  
Cal took the phone. "Hello? ...... Hey! ......WHAT?! (he almost choked on the soda he was drinking) Oh..... ok....... see you in a few." He hung up and whirled around. "Virginia's coming!" he cried, something close to panic in his voice. "She doesn't like other girls in the room," he said, picking up all the Chocobaby books and placing them on a shelf hurriedly.  
  
"Oh," Selphie understood. She stood up to go.  
  
"I have to go somewhere, why don't I go with Selphie?" Zell said, seizing his chance to talk to her about her and Cal.  
  
"BYE!!!" Cal said, all but shoving them through the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Once they were safely out of the dormitory hallway, Zell started walking slower. "You know Cal has a girlfriend, right?" He blurted.  
  
"Yeah," Selphie said slowly.  
  
"Isn't that a problem for you?"  
  
"No... should it be?"  
  
"Shouldn't it be?"  
  
"Uh.... no," Selphie sounded confused.  
  
"Oh," Zell said, defeated. "Well, if it isn't a problem... I guess it's ok then." He turned to go.  
  
"Wait!" Selphie said. "Where you going? I got nothing to do, can I go with you?"  
  
Zell didn't really want to be with Selphie right now; he was hurting inside. So he said, "Naw, I'm going to the library to catch up on some schoolwork... I might need some quiet time."  
  
"Oh," Selphie said quietly. "I'll see you around then..."  
  
Selphie watched Zell's back as he turned and walked away from her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
After a few hours in the library, the librarian came and told Zell that it was closing for the night. Zell asked to use the library telephone in the office. The librarian reluctantly agreed. Zell dialed his dorm room number.  
  
"Hello?" Came Cal's voice over the line.  
  
"Hey Cal, it's me. Is Virginia gone yet?"  
  
"Yeah, she left a while ago. Where'd you go, man?"  
  
"I'm at the library. Meet me in the Balamb Pub in half an hour. We need to talk."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews!! Also, I was just wondering... is it spelled Alcauld Plains?? Cuz I've been spelling it Aucauld Plains... Anyways, school starts tomorrow! Ahhhh... high school. "Freshmen hazing is NOT allowed" in the words of a senior Link Crew leader... heh heh. ^ ^ 


	5. You Don't Understand!!

Disclaimer: I own nothin but the story idea, and some of that i don't even own! *sob* how i wish i owned seifer...  
  
--Chapter 5: You Don't Understand!! --  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cal walked into the smoke filled pub, and looked around for his roommate. He spotted the spiky haired blonde boy sitting at the bar, drinking some beer. Cal walked over to him and sat down next to him.  
  
"What's up, man?" Cal asked as he sat down. "Gimme a cold one," he said to the bartender.  
  
"Selphie's a good girl, Cal. Don't start two-timing... You'll break her heart," Zell said, downing his beer.  
  
Cal sighed. "You don't know how frustrating it is, to have two girls like you at the same time." His beer arrived, and he took a big gulp.  
  
"Then choose one! Which one do you like better?" Zell sounded frustrated.  
  
"I LIKE THEM BOTH!" Cal yelled, attracting curious looks from the people nearby. Zell finished his beer and asked for a refill. "Although, if both of them were to fall into the water... I think I would save Virginia first. After all, I've known her since we were both 8."  
  
"Well you can't just mislead Selphie! You better get her out here and talk it all out with her and tell her you like Virginia more!" Zell insisted.  
  
"But--"  
  
"NO BUTS! Get her somewhere and talk it out!!!" Zell was mad.  
  
"Fine! Fine!" Cal gave up.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie sat at a table at the Restaurant a la Balamb, sipping a iced coconut and honeydew drink. Weird combination, but still pretty good. Across from her sat Rinoa, drinking some latte.  
  
"So how's this thing going with Zell?" Rinoa asked, dumping more sugar in her latte.  
  
Selphie blushed. "How'd you know?"  
  
"Well, it's obvious! You always look at him like you want him to jump you or something."  
  
"I do NOT!"  
  
"Well... maybe not... but I can still tell you like him."  
  
At that moment, Selphie's cell phone rang. She picked it up from where it was laying on the table and answered it.  
  
"Hello? .... Cal?...... I'm at Restaurant a la Balamb with Rinoa. .... something important to tell me? ..... sure! I'll see you in a few minutes.... ok bye."  
  
"Cal's coming up here to talk to me, he says," Selphie told Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa made a face. "What are you doing, meeting that freak?"  
  
Selphie sighed. She knew how Rinoa felt about him. "What do you have against Cal anyways?"  
  
"Well, he's freakishly tall, and he's going out with the bitch Virginia!"  
  
"He's the same height as Seifer!"  
  
"That IS freakishly tall!!"  
  
"Well you can always leave when he comes."  
  
"Nope. I think I'll just sit riiiiiiight here." Rinoa poked the table. "Hey I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a sec, k?" Rinoa stood up and went off.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell pulled the car up outside the restaurant. "Ok," he said. "You go in. I'll wait out here for you."  
  
Cal popped open the door, then after a few seconds, closed it. "Come with me," he said. Zell sighed impatiently.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because! What if I tell her we can't see each other, and she starts crying? You know I can't stand crying women!"  
  
Zell sighed again. Cal went on.  
  
"And what if she's so shocked by the news that she breaks her glass and threatens to kill herself? I can't stand the sight of blood!" He sounded panicked.  
  
"Alright! Alright! I'll go in with you. But don't expect me to say anything!!"  
  
They got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. Zell quickly spotted Selphie sitting alone with her back to them at a table next to the window. Cal dragged him to her, and pushed him into a seat at the table behind her. Zell started to get up to leave, but Cal shoved him down again and motioned frantically for him to stay put. Zell made a pained face at his friend, but he stayed where he was.  
  
Cal walked up nervous behind Selphie.  
  
"Hi, Selphie." Cal said. Selphie turned around and smiled.  
  
"Hey Cal!"  
  
Cal noticed the cup with the lipstick mark on the table across from her. "Did Rinoa leave?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "She had something she needed to do."  
  
"Oh." There was an awkward silence.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell sat at the table behind Selphie and Cal's, listening to their conversation. Just get on with it and tell her, you fool! He thought and mentally cursed Cal's nervousness. A waiter approached and handed him a menu. He mindlessly pointed at an item and shoved the menu back at the waiter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie watched as Rinoa re-emerged from the bathroom and saw Cal. Selphie made frantic faces at her friend, telling her to leave. Rinoa rolled her eyes at sat down at the table behind Cal. She turned and started making funny faces at Cal, pulling her eyebrows up and sticking out her tongue. Selphie resisting the urge to start laughing, and instead put her head in her hands.  
  
"Selphie, the reason I wanted to see you today is because I have something very very important to tell you." Cal said seriously. Selphie watched a waiter appear and give Rinoa a tall glass of iced tea.  
  
Selphie nodded just as seriously and gave Cal her undivided attention.  
  
"Um.... um....." Cal seemed to be having trouble getting out the words.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Damnit Cal! JUST SAY IT! Hyne, what was taking so long? Zell took a sip of the drink he had ordered. Hmmm... Pretty good. Coconutty and honeydewy. He stuck the straw in his mouth and started to blow bubbles with boredom.  
  
"You know I've known Virginia since we were little children, right?" Zell heard Cal blurt out. Way to start, Cal, Zell thought and sighed to himself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie was a bit surprised at the question. "Sure I knew that," she said.  
  
"And I've only known you for... a year?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Cal frowned. "Then you see, my feelings for Virginia run deeper than the feelings I have for you."  
  
"Of course! She's your girlfriend! You love her, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so Selphie..."  
  
"Wait a second. Did you guys fight or something? About what? Nothings worth breaking up over, you know."  
  
"No, that's not it---"  
  
"Because you should savor this relationship. It's really special when you have something like this. Don't throw it away!"  
  
All of a sudden, Cal got this dreamy look on his face. Then he reached over the table and grabbed Selphie's hand.  
  
"You don't know what I'm trying to say, Selphie! I was going to say to you that we don't have a chance, and that I like Virginia more than you, but now that I know that you're willing to sacrifice our love just so you won't break up me and Virginia, I just realized just how special you are! Give me some time to explain to Virginia, and then we can be together with no obstacles!" Cal cried, staring deep into Selphie's green eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell groaned and put his head in his hands. Zell had no chance now. He could see the future. Selphie and Cal would be together, and they would find no more time in their new relationship for their old friend, forgotten Zell. Sadly, he stuck the straw in his mouth again and starting sucking up the drink in front of him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie's eyes grew wide. Did I just hear Cal say that? Then she saw Rinoa spray out the mouthful of iced tea onto her table. Oh man... she thought. Cal thought I liked him??  
  
"No, wait, Cal I think---"  
  
"No Selphie! We'll be together, always and forever!" Cal insisted, kissing her hands.  
  
"Argh!" She pulled her hands away from him and wiped them on her jumper. "You don't understand! The guy I like is ZELL! Not YOU!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zell's head snapped up. Did I just hear Selphie say that?! He stood up and turned around. Selphie had stood up too. He didn't notice the straw was still hanging on his lips.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rinoa stood up and turned around. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Now she couldn't believe what she was seeing.  
  
"ZELL?!?" She shouted. There was the blonde boy, standing behind Selphie, with a straw hanging from his lips.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cal stood up, turned around, and saw Rinoa. What the hell? Did Selphie just say she liked Zell?! (A/N: HEY! that rhymes!! hahaha.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Selphie's heart sank. She whirled around, and her worst fears were confirmed. Zell was standing behind her, a look of pure shock and amazement on his face, and a straw hanging from his lips. He had heard the entire thing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Wow! Isn't that an eventful chapter or what?! School started today, so I don't know if I'll have the time to update as often as I usually do... Well, please REVIEW!!! I need comments! I need praise!! I CRAVE praise!!! *drools* lol just kidding... but I still want reviews. 


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